I keep hearing that “people don’t want to join things anymore.” Or this: “Our organization can’t draw lawyers to events like we used to; law firms and attorneys don’t value networking events as they once did.”

Maybe. Or maybe your events are lackluster, and you’re failing to engage lawyers in ways that have meaning. Los Abogados clearly works from a different playbook.

That was my thought as I attended Saturday evening’s Los Abogados annual banquet. The packed room at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs was a rebuke to those who declare the days of attorney interaction dead and gone.

Back at the Los Abogados event, there was all you could expect (silent auction, food, drink, music, conversation, awards) and more—fantastic (professional) dancers and a closing act of three opera singers. Even if you’ve never gotten closer to The Three Tenors than a PBS special, you knew you were in the midst of greatness at the Pointe Hilton.

Professional dancers wow the crowd at the Los Abogados banquet, Oct. 19, 2013.

So the next time someone bemoans declining attendance at (fill in the blank) the Lions Club, or Kiwanis, or whatever, be sure you point out that busy attorneys remain connected, but they’ve reallocated their time. They seek events and organizations that provide a deep connection, and those groups that give back in meaningful ways.

And remember: Connectivity is more than just one night; it continues throughout the year. Therefore, you should follow them on Facebook here.

In that vein, it’s not too early to point out that the Arizona Asian American Bar Association annual banquet will be on Thursday, February 18, 2014. Go on; mark it on your calendar. It’ll be at C-Fu Gourmet in Chandler, where the multi-course evening would suggest you begin skipping lunches now to prepare for the feast.